|
Dear students:
Congratulations on finishing your finals! We hope that you have a restful and restorative winter break.
While you are planning for your time away from campus, we want to remind you that the deadline for registering and applying to employers for the Public Interest Legal Career (PILC) Fair is January 16th.
As a reminder, the PILC Fair hosts 300+ public service employers who will be interviewing and meeting with students from participating law schools. This year, it will be held virtually on February 6th & 7th from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The deadline to register and submit applications for the PILC fair is January 16th at 5pm. Your registration must be approved by the PI/PS office - as such it is imperative that you do not wait until the last minute to register.
After you register, you will have access to the online system to submit your applications. You can submit applications to up to 50 employers any time prior to January 16th at 5pm. Remember, you will need to submit a resume and tailored cover letter, combined in a single PDF, for each employer.
If you would like to meet with a PI/PS adviser, please see Symplicity for availability and to book an appointment. You can also submit your formatted resume and/or one cover letter to the 1L Resume and Cover Letter Review Portal for review by a PI/PS adviser. The Portal will remain open during the holidays, so take advantage of this time if you haven’t yet prepared your application materials.
Please also stay tuned for an email about registering for the Public Interest Mock Interview Program. The Program will be virtual and will take place during J-term (January 13th - 17th). CLS alumni working in the public interest will conduct 30-minute mock interviews and provide feedback to each student. This is a great opportunity to prepare for upcoming PILC Fair interviews, as well as for your public interest job search generally. More information is forthcoming, but if you have questions about the Public Interest Mock Interview Program, please reach out to Estelle Mitchell (em3973@columbia.edu).
Additional information about the PILC Fair is below.
Have a wonderful winter break!
Best,
Emily
Emily Harris (she/her)
Director of Public Interest Lawyering and Strategic Initiatives
Columbia Law School | Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers
PILC FAIR FAQS
How do I register?
-
Go to the PILC Fair website to register and use your UNI where it asks for your School ID.
-
Once the PI/PS Office approves your registration, which may take up to 1-2 business days (note school closures), you will then receive login information and can start applying for interviews.
What is the timeline for applications?
-
You can register and submit applications to up to 50 employers anytime between now and January 16th at 5 p.m.
-
Employers will not be able to see when you applied, as they receive all applications at the same time, after the application period has closed.
-
Remember, you'll need to submit a resume and cover letter for each employer.
-
Register and check out the site as soon as you can to review the list of participating employers. Be sure to note which employers you'd like to submit applications to and give yourself enough time to draft all of those cover letters.
-
You can submit your formatted resume and/or one cover letter to the 1L Resume and Cover Letter Review Portal for review by a PI/PS adviser. Please note submissions to the Portal between December 23rd and January 3rd will likely be delayed by school closures and holidays—plan accordingly!
How can I maximize my chances of being selected for interviews?
-
When applying, you will be asked to indicate your availability for interviews. Give the widest range of availability possible to increase your odds of receiving interviews. If you have classes scheduled on Fair days, reach out to your professors if you need to miss class for the Fair—they have already been notified that the Fair is occurring on these days.
-
Submit cover letters for all applications. Many employers will not consider applications submitted without a cover letter.
What if I miss the deadline?
-
Unfortunately, extensions are not possible.
-
Students who fail to register by the deadline will not be able to sign up for interviews at the Fair.
What is Table Talk?
-
Table Talk is where employers are available for more informal conversations with small groups of students about the organization and its internship opportunities, and can provide useful networking opportunities.
-
Table Talk is available to you whether or not you applied for a formal interview.
-
Students can sign up for 15 Table Talk slots per day.
-
You will receive an email and registration link on Monday, February 3rd, at 9 a.m, which will allow you to sign up for Table Talk slots. You will be able to sign up for Table Talk until February 5th at 3 p.m.
When will I find out if I've been selected for interviews?
-
The initial interview schedules should be available online for students on or by January 31st, 2025.
-
Final schedules and a link to your interviews will be available by 3 p.m. the day before your scheduled interviews.
-
The evening before your interviews take place, you should expect to receive an email with one link to join all of your interviews on Flo Recruit the following day.
What platform will be used for the virtual Fair?
Where can I find more information?
-
Please be sure to visit the FAQs on the PILC Fair website for more details, such as entering your interview availability, how to rank your employers, alternate status, cancellation rules, free sign up, and more.
-
PI/PS will host a PILC Fair panel in early February.
-
You can view a recording of last year’s PILC Fair info session here.
|
